New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Building a better future: Global collaboration with verified emissions data are key to meeting UN environment goals
22/5/2024
8 min read
Feature
There must be a fundamental shift to how we regulate building carbon emissions and collaborate globally to meet UN climate goals. This gap must be closed through intergovernmental commitment and close collaboration with the building industry. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to track and measure carbon in the built environment, to ensure that we halve carbon emissions by 2030, writes Nigel Tonks, Director, Whole Life Carbon (WLC) Transformation Lead, Arup UKIMEA.
The scale of the challenge facing the global built environment cannot be underestimated. Buildings account for 37% of global energy related carbon emissions, yet we are falling dangerously behind in efforts to decarbonise this sector. The 2023 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, launched at the recent UN-led Buildings and Climate Forum in Paris, found that our trajectory is not on track to meet UN 2030 goals. In fact, the gap is widening, with emissions 15% behind.
Moreover, by 2050, the proportion of the world’s population that lives in urban areas is expected to rise from over 50% to 68%, and global demand for the raw materials needed to build and expand these cities is expected to double by 2060. Over 100 countries currently have no building energy regulations whatsoever. Similarly, less than 30% have performance regulations for the entire building sector.
Goals of the Global Forum
The March 2024 Buildings and Climate Global Forum, co-organised by France and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, brought together more than 1,400 ministers and representatives of key organisations worldwide for the first time. The Forum was dedicated to the decarbonisation and climate resilience of buildings. Ministers discussed the need for urgent action, reflecting on the fact that buildings will increasingly be exposed to climate-related risks which particularly affect developing countries and cities.